Twenty-seven regular-season games remain for the Timberwolves. And following Monday night’s huge victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, the improbable Wolves, who won only 17 games all last season, have become a legitimate playoff contender.

They trail coach Kevin McHale’s Houston Rockets by just 1-1/2 games for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference.

Only the Los Angeles Lakers, who will play the Wolves on Friday at Target Center, currently hold a tiebreaker advantage over Minnesota in the conference.

“This is an important week, because we leave town next week for what seems like eternity,” Wolves President David Kahn said.

From next Monday at Phoenix through March 23 at Oklahoma City, Minnesota will play seven consecutive road games.

“We need to hopefully create a small cushion for ourselves to withstand what will be a very difficult road trip so that when we come home off the road, we still feel we’re in the hunt,” Kahn said.

First, the Wolves (20-19) play three more home games, starting tonight against Portland (19-19).

Kahn is cautious about playoff talk.

“It is (possible) today, and I hope we maintain this,” he said. “But what’s important to me is that the team simply continues to improve and is competitive every night.”

The Wolves are 3-0 against the Clippers (22-14), who are six percentage points ahead of the Lakers (23-15) in the Pacific Division.

It’s hockey mania for the Guentzel family this week.

Mike Guentzel, the former Gophers star who is an assistant for his alma mater, is helping prepare Minnesota for the WCHA playoffs on Friday against Alaska Anchorage at Mariucci Arena.

Meanwhile, Guentzel’s son Jake is a junior center for the Hill-Murray team that plays Maple Grove in the Class 2A tournament Thursday. One of the top scorers in the state, Jake has had offers from Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth. The Gophers have inquired, but it might be better, dad said, if Jake plays elsewhere.

Another Guentzel son, Gabe, is a senior defenseman for Colorado College, which this week faces Michigan Tech in the WCHA playoffs.

Yet another son, Ryan, a former Notre Dame standout forward, is playing in European playoffs for his German team this week.

Mike and wife Sally will do their best to follow the clan this week.

“Technology,” Mike said. “Telephones (text messages), Internet, computer. I miss way too much, but I do what I do, and that’s just the way it works out. I’d rather have it this way rather than the alternative, which would mean that we’d be done and I’d have plenty of time to be chasing around.

“I hate missing (his sons’ games), but the reality is that if I’m missing because we’re doing well, then it’s probably a good thing for everybody.”

Last Friday, Ryan was in the playoffs in Germany, the Gophers were playing for the MacNaughton Cup in Minneapolis, Jake was playing to get into the state tournament and Gabe was playing for his team to get home-ice advantage.

“It was a heck of a night for us,” Mike said. “It was a stressful night for Sally. Now, this is a great week for hockey.”

Former Gophers in major league baseball camps this spring: Glen Perkins, Twins; John Gaub, Chicago Cubs; and Jack Hannahan, Cleveland Indians.

Rosin, by the way, gave up a home run to Milwaukee’s Travis Ishikawa on Monday night in a game televised on the Major League Baseball network, then struck out the next three batters.

Other former Gophers baseball players: Jim Rantz is the Twins’ minor leagues director; Paul Molitor is a Twins special consultant; Dave Winfield is an executive with the San Diego Padres, for whom Mark Merila is a coach; Tim McIntosh is scouting for the New York Yankees; Dan Wilson is broadcasting and working in player development for the Seattle Mariners; Ryan Lefebvre is broadcasting for the Kansas City Royals; Jim Brower is Class A pitching coach for the Royals; and Eric Decker is a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos.

Ex-Mounds View pitcher Mark Hamburger, who signed out of a Twins tryout camp, pitched two hitless innings for the Texas Rangers against Arizona on Tuesday.

The new baseball coach at North St. Paul is alumnus Ron Adams, who also coaches the North St. Paul American Legion team.

DON’T PRINT THAT

Pssst: Add the Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors to the Los Angeles Lakers as teams that recently have inquired about Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley. The NBA trade deadline is March 15.

The former Tigers reliever, 27, signed with the Twins during the offseason but tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow early in spring training. He hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since June 2010, when he broke his elbow and underwent two operations.

Leyland said he planned to call Zumaya this week.

“I just feel terrible about it; it breaks your heart,” Leyland said from Lakeland, Fla. “It’s been such a tough situation for Joel. We’ve been through it the last few years with him, and we were hoping that things would work out for him this time.

“Everybody at Tiger Town is brokenhearted, because we’re all pulling for him.”

OVERHEARD

The Timberwolves’ Kevin Love, asked if he’s growing out his hair to look like teammate Ricky Rubio: “No, I’m not a pretty boy.”

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